The embodiments described herein relate generally to single board computers and, more particularly, to securing a single board computer in an operating environment and providing enhanced conductive cooling of the single board computer.
As electrical assemblies, such as computers, become more densely populated with heat-generating components, such as processors integrated circuits, transistors, and other electronic components, component overheating becomes more likely. This increased likelihood of overheating contributes to reducing the lifespan of such assemblies and/or becomes a limiting factor in reliability, possible maximum operating temperature, and/or size of such assemblies.
Rack-mounted circuit boards, such as those that may be used in known electrical assemblies, may generally be classified as either a conduction cooled circuit board or a convection cooled circuit board. At least some known conduction cooled circuit boards include a cooling plate that is positioned on one surface of the circuit board and in contact with components mounted, such as soldered, on the circuit board. A heat management layer extends at the edges of the circuit board to provide conduction surfaces that are arranged to contact heat sinks. More specifically, the heat management layer is a portion of the cooling plate that facilitates thermal conduction of heat generated by the components to the heat sinks.
Many circuit boards are used in high-stress environments, such as environments with high shock, vibration, and/or heat. Moreover, many such circuit boards still require high availability and reliability. At least some known convection cooled circuit boards use fans or similar elements to blow cooling air onto the circuit boards to remove heat. However, these fans can be shaken by shock and/or vibration, or may overheat similar to other electrical components. In addition, fans can collect dust and dirt, which lessens the air output. At least some known conduction cooled circuit boards use wedge locks to secure the circuit boards within an operating environment and to conduct heat away from the circuit boards. However, at least some known wedge locks have small contact surface areas with the heat management layer and/or a thermal reference surface of the operating environment, which focuses the heat into a narrow thermal path that increases the thermal resistance, thereby making such wedge locks less efficient in conducting the heat away from the circuit boards.